Pergo, the leading manufacturer and marketer of laminate flooring, is known for providing durable, realistic flooring that is particularly easy to maintain and install. Thanks to a recently awarded patent from the European Patent Office, Pergo has further strengthened this reputation and its leadership position in the field of fold-down technology.

“This is an important addition to our family of patents,” said George Kelley, chief executive officer of Pergo North America. “It solidifies our position as an industry leader in innovation and technology, and ensures a competitive advantage in fold-down technology.”

Patent #EP 1 276 941 B1 was awarded to Pergo this month by the European Patent Office. Based on an initial application from the year 2000, the patent protects a Pergo-exclusive technology that makes it possible for a flooring panel to be locked simultaneously on two edges with other panels that already have been laid via a simple downward “folding” movement – thus making installing Pergo flooring particularly easy when compared with competitive products.

This new patent expands upon Pergo’s already extensive portfolio of patents in the area of flooring panels. A patent from the same family (US 7,441,385 B2) was granted in the United States in October 2008. Pergo also has additional patents dating from 1999 that involve the locking of flooring panels through a simple downward movement.